Fitness while trans and/or intersex
explodingmango
Posts: 171 Member
Who else here feels lost seeing just how little is known about how fitness works for anyone who is not either cis male or cis female?
I'm starting a new program on Monday, and...I have a little bit of a problem already - the rules are different depending on your gender. Not much different, not in ridiculous arbitrary ways like in a lot of programs I see - but that only makes it more complicated for me to tackle.
See, as is often the case, men are instructed to eat more than women. That puts me in a bit of a hard place - I'm DFAB, developed clitoromegaly due to atypical hormone balance when I hit puberty...in my and my doctor's half-joking opinion, that was my body's way of alerting me to the fact that I was really supposed to be male all along. I've been on hormone therapy for about 3 years now...
And I still only have a vague idea of what differences between the (cis) male and female bodies (with regards to fitness) are primarily hormone-linked, primarily structure-linked, or primarily social.
I'm not really actively looking for advice on my struggle with the new program - I have my doctor, and I have consultants I check in with, and they'll help me work it out - but what I am wondering is, does anyone else here have similar frustrations?
I'm starting a new program on Monday, and...I have a little bit of a problem already - the rules are different depending on your gender. Not much different, not in ridiculous arbitrary ways like in a lot of programs I see - but that only makes it more complicated for me to tackle.
See, as is often the case, men are instructed to eat more than women. That puts me in a bit of a hard place - I'm DFAB, developed clitoromegaly due to atypical hormone balance when I hit puberty...in my and my doctor's half-joking opinion, that was my body's way of alerting me to the fact that I was really supposed to be male all along. I've been on hormone therapy for about 3 years now...
And I still only have a vague idea of what differences between the (cis) male and female bodies (with regards to fitness) are primarily hormone-linked, primarily structure-linked, or primarily social.
I'm not really actively looking for advice on my struggle with the new program - I have my doctor, and I have consultants I check in with, and they'll help me work it out - but what I am wondering is, does anyone else here have similar frustrations?
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Replies
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Hi I am just starting to learn about fitness and nutrition as I recently had chest surgery (I am ftm). I agree with your confusion as I struggle to keep up with what is seen as average for a man fitness wise. I don't know if this is due to the fact that I was unable to work out really for 2+ years while binding my chest, or if it is due to my designated at birth gender. Maybe we could help each other?0
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Hi guys, I am an FTM. Just started T on 12/28 and need to lose a good bit of weight. I have lost 112# in the past 13 months, but still want to lose another 100+. Wanting to build muscle since T assists in that regard, but am afraid to eat at maint calories lest I start gaining weight. I read an article on Word Press that you should set only 1 goal at a time - fat loss or muscle gain. Since I have so much fat to lose, I am focusing on that first. I will continue to lift weights to retain the muscle I have now, but doing HIIT to shred fat primarily. I did change my MFP profile to Male, which increased my daily calorie goal by about 200 calories. Anyway, just wanted to say Hi and wish you both well. Feel free to friend me if you want to be pals here. Miles0
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Yeah I sooo get what you mean. Should I treat nutrition for my body as if it’s a ‘female’ body, even though the results I want aren’t female?
And how to people get around working out while binding... I hate wearing ‘girls sports clothes’, but the one time I tried to work out in a binder I nearly passed out1 -
^ I still workout while binding, but mine are worn out enough I don't die (which honestly, is the only good thing about worn binders xD)
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